Harry Potter and the Key of Soul Fusion
by Melodiee
Summary: Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny are spending the summer at Hogwarts. While there, Harry finds a rare key that is connected to his father and Sirius Black. In search of closure for his godfather's death, Harry tries to find Sirius using the key. HxG RxH
1. A Knock on the Door

**Harry Potter and the Key of Soul Fusion**

Chapter 1: A Knock on the Door

A warm wind was blowing, and the afternoon air felt rather heavy as a skinny, dark-haired boy carefully hid himself behind a row of hedges and lay down, breathing a sigh of relief.

There had been mutterings from behind the neighbours' closed curtains when a few wizard reporters had come wandering around, trying to get an interview with the teenager, and he had no desire to be found nor questioned. Harry Potter had done nothing to improve his image in the eyes of his neighbours, and they were careful to stay out of the way of "that nutter Vernon and Petunia actually tolerated." Harry didn't care one bit what his neighbours thought, but their incessant whispering when he was around grated on his nerves. So he had stolen away this afternoon to be alone, and to think.

What was it, Harry wondered as he stared up at the sky, that made the world seem so calm and peaceful? There was so much darkness and yet no one appeared to even notice at all. Harry closed his eyes and rubbed his temple in frustration as he fought to blink back tears, not wanting to risk Dudley seeing them. He _would not_ cry in front of the Dursleys, Harry thought defiantly, just as he heard a pot bang in the kitchen.

"Where has that boy got to, I swear—"

Harry groaned as he heard the unmistakable screeching voice that was his Aunt Petunia's. He struggled to his feet and swiped at his eyes. Letting himself in through the back door, he blinked as he tried to adjust his eyes to the kitchen that was much darker than the bright sunlight outside.

"What is it?" The kitchen looked as it usually did, spotless and gleaming.

"What is it?" Aunt Petunia shrieked, her eyes bulging. She grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him to the sink. "_That's_ what it is!" She pointed indignantly at something, but all Harry saw was a perfectly clean, white surface.

"I don't see anything," he said dully.

"Don't see anything!" Aunt Petunia repeated in a rage. "_Don't see anything!_ I'll have you know you can't just go around thinking you can make a mess any old place you _fancy!_ Look at that! Right there! Sullying my kitchen like this!"

"I," Harry interrupted, "have to go write a letter to Moody now. You know, that nice man you met at the train station?"

Aunt Petunia's mouth snapped shut.

"Oh," she said stiffly, remembering the warning Harry's friends had given her, threatening dire consequences should she and Vernon abuse Harry again this summer. Just then the doorbell rang.

Happy to get away, Harry stepped into the front hallway and peeked through the window. Kingsley! Tonks! They had come to take him away from the Dursleys Excited, Harry threw open the door. Upon closer examination, Harry saw that Kingsley looked rather nervous, as he was shifting his weight from foot to foot, and he seemed to be avoiding Harry's gaze. Tonks had very normal-looking brown hair that fell to her shoulders, and she, too, seemed to be rather intent on not meeting Harry's eyes.

"Er-- What's going on? Are you here to take me away?" Harry asked confusedly, puzzled by this strange behaviour. Kingsley was usually silently confident and strong, and Tonks always had some outrageous hairdo.

"Can we come in?" Kingsley finally mumbled after a long silence. He raised his head and, quite accidentally, Harry locked gazes with him.

In that split second, Harry automatically shouted _"Legilimens!"_ as he had heard Snape do so many times during his Occlumency lessons. Instantly, much to his surprise, he saw a flash of images... a young, blonde-haired boy being pushed into a pond... a lifeless face with blank eyes staring up at him... Dimly, he was aware of Kingsley stumbling and falling to the ground on his knees, but the images continued on relentlessly... Harry saw shadows in a dark cave, then uttered a cry and clutched his scar when Voldemort's red eyes burned into his... He could feel Kingsley trying to sever the connection... There was a bubbling potion... a whisper, a threat... _"Drink the Polyjuice and trick the fool into inviting you into his house... He will never know..."_... Aghast, Harry wrenched his mind away. Immediately the images began to fade, and the searing pain in his scar dulled to a low, throbbing ache.

Kingsley, or rather his imposter, stared at him in horror. Tonks had stepped back and was watching the two with a frightened look on her face.

"_Obliviate!"_ the Death Eater cried, with his wand pointed at Harry. The spell had no effect, however, as Harry still remembered perfectly that the man in front of him was one of Voldemort's Death Eaters in disguise.

"Get out " Harry shouted, slamming the door and sliding the lock into place. Breathing heavily and shaking, he drew his wand from his pocket, ready to defend himself if necessary. Improper Use of Magic or no, he was not about to give in without a fight. He heaved a sigh of relief when he heard two pops on the other side of the door. The Death Eaters had Disapparated. He had to send a letter to Dumbledore, straight away... Voldemort had never attempted to attack him at home before, this was unbelievable, Death Eaters in Little Whinging. And how had he been able to use Legilimency?

"Who was that at the door?" Aunt Petunia, alerted by the noise, came in and directed an accusing glare at Harry. He was saved from responding by a large, tawny owl that swooped in through the open window and hovered near Harry's head. At once, he recognized the elegant script on the envelope and tore it off the owl's foot, ignoring the indignant squawk. Harry ripped open the parchment and a letter, hurriedly scrawled, fell out.

"_Dear Harry,_

_It has come to my attention that Voldemort is attempting to send Death Eaters to your residence in hopes of abducting you. You should be fairly safe, if you would please remember two things. **Do not** leave the house under any circumstances and, whatever you do, **do not** invite anyone into your house. Your aunt's protection should be sufficient for the moment." _

So that was why the Memory Charm hadn't worked, Harry thought gratefully, remembering the special ward to guard him that his aunt had allowed. He glanced up from the letter and saw Aunt Petunia scrutinizing him closely.

"Well?" she snapped, her foot tapping impatiently. She was all right, really, Harry thought fleetingly as he returned his gaze to the letter.

"_I regret that matters have declined so quickly, but I feel that home is not the safest place for you right now. I am not entirely certain, but the protection your aunt gives you may be less effective now, or, indeed, rendered completely useless against Voldemort himself. I have, therefore, arranged for you to spend the rest of your summer at Hogwarts, where I have reason to believe there may be a better protection for you. Someone from the Order will be sent to escort you shortly._

_--Albus P. W. B. Dumbledore" _

Harry looked up. Aunt Petunia had her arms crossed, and she was huffing irritably.

"I--" Something caught in his throat. Harry tried again. "I'm leaving."

Aunt Petunia's demeanor changed instantly. She looked startled. "Come again?"

"I'm leaving for Hog-- my school," Harry corrected himself hastily. "Early."

"Well." Aunt Petunia seemed to have no words for this.

"Hang on, I have to reply..." Harry grabbed a bit of parchment and a crumpled quill out of his pocket and scribbled down a quick note.

"_Dear Professor,_

_It's all right. The Death Eaters came before I got your letter, but I was able to figure out who they were through... well, through Legilimency, I think. They've Disapparated now, and I'm okay. _

_--Harry" _

"Get down here " Harry yelled to the owl that was now restlessly fluttering around the ceiling. Aunt Petunia was watching warily, making sure that it did not soil her impeccable floor in any way. Obediently, the owl flew down and held out its leg. Harry tied on his letter and whispered, "To Dumbledore." He watched as the owl took off through the window and into the clear sky. To Hogwarts. To home. It was hard to worry about Death Eaters just now when his heart was filled with the joy of the knowledge that he would soon be among friends again.

"Who's taking you to that-- to that place?" It seemed Aunt Petunia had finally thought of something to say.

"I dunno," Harry replied, intent on getting upstairs and packing his things. "Same people from last time, I expect." He regretted this statement instantly as a frown creased Aunt Petunia's face. She was probably remembering the nonexistent lawn competition from last summer, Harry thought, a little grin playing at the corners of his mouth. He turned swiftly and hurried up the stairs.

A few minutes later Harry was back in the now empty front hall, Hedwig's cage and his trunk by his feet. He reckoned that Aunt Petunia had told Uncle Vernon and Dudley that he was departing for school early this year, because Dudley usually popped in at this time of day for his fourth afternoon snack, and he was nowhere to be seen. Dudley had grown even larger, and the children in the neighbourhood had taken to traveling in packs, so as not to be caught alone by Dudley or one of his gang.

Harry smiled as the thought of leaving Privet Drive settled into his mind. He had steeled himself for another torturous summer, had mentally prepared himself for the long wait until the first of September, but now he was going back, and he did not have to wait any longer.

For the second time that day, someone knocked on the front door.

Momentarily forgetting constant vigilance in the happy glow that surrounded him, Harry opened the door.

Four Death Eaters, all wearing long, black cloak and masks, stood on his front stoop. With a sinking feeling in the bottom of his stomach, Harry realized with horror that the two pops he had heard had not been two Death Eaters Disapparating, but two _Apparating._ Here.


	2. Home Again

Chapter 2: Home Again

The Death Eater on the far left raised his wand. Harry instinctively drew his from his pocket and aimed it at him.

"_Expelli-" _

"_No! _Harry!" Startled, Harry dropped his wand, which clattered to the ground. The Death Eaters were quick to take advantage of the momentary lapse in Harry's concentration.

"_Stupefy! Stupefy!"_ The many spells combined did what one could not. Harry felt the blissful, soothing sensation of his mind being wiped clear...

"Ow!" Harry exclaimed as his head hit the ground with a loud clunk. Cursing softly, he sat up. It took a moment for him to register that he had somehow been transported to Dumbledore's office. The scratch of a quill against parchment broke into his thoughts, and he turned toward the desk to see the headmaster. After a moment's pause, Dumbledore looked up.

"Ah, Harry."

"What's going on?" Harry asked, tentatively touching the new bump on his head. Before Dumbledore could answer, two figures appeared. A crushed cylinder of aluminum fell to the floor.

"Ouch! Kingsley, you oaf, you just stepped on my foot!" It was unmistakably the voice of Tonks.

"It's not my fault where you put your foot." Kingsley protested. Harry watched, his eyes wide. Kingsley had a scratch on his right cheek. Tonks, looking a bit worse, was sporting a bloody nose and a slight limp.

"Harry!" Tonks hobbled forward and embraced him. "I haven't seen you in so long! That was a pretty rough tumble back there, wasn't it? Old Moody is still back there, he should arrive soon. Are you okay? Sorry we couldn't arrange for a better way to get you here." She spotted the rapidly swelling lump on the side of his head. "Ooh, that's going to hurt."

"Hello, Harry," Kingsley said.

"Hi. Thanks for coming to get me," Harry replied gratefully.

"Just doing our job, Harry," Tonks smiled, affectionately tousling his untidy hair.

"Ow!" Harry exclaimed again.

"Oops! I'm sorry, Harry!" Tonks said. Kingsley laughed, a deep, low rumble.

"Welcome, and thank you." Dumbledore stood up and walked around his desk. "You two should go see Poppy about those injuries."

"Right. Come on, Kingsley. Maybe she can give us something to drink, too. I tried that Muggle can, it wasn't too bad." Tonks propelled Kingsley from the room. Harry heard their footsteps down the short hallway, and then the grating noise of the revolving staircase. When it was absolutely silent, Harry looked up to meet Dumbledore's eyes.

"What's going on?" he asked again.

"Mr. Shacklebolt and Miss Tonks Portkeyed you directly to my office after stumbling upon the Death Eaters at your door. Harry, I was wondering if you might describe yourself exactly what happened?"

"Well, there really isn't much to say, Professor. The Death Eaters came disguised as Kingsley and Tonks and... I just used Legilimency, and it worked. I saw... images. I saw Voldemort. He wanted them to trick me into inviting them into the Dursley's house. And then I thought they'd gone, but it turned out more had arrived.I saw them when I opened the door, but the next thing I knew I was here."

"I see. Well, if that is all, perhaps you'd like to see Madam Pomfrey as well? Or maybe you'd rather go rest a bit in Gryffindor Tower before dinner?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "The password is 'lemon lolly.' Your things will have arrived with Moody, I daresay."

"Er... all right." Silenced settled in again. "Professor?"

"Yes?"

"Why do you think I was able to use Legilimency?"

Dumbledore sighed, the tips of his fingers placed against each other. "Another power the Dark Lord possesses, is it not? Strange things happen when a wizard takes over the mind and body of another wizard, as Voldemort did to you not too long ago. I would not advise you to dwell on such matters at the moment. There will be plenty of time for discussion later."

"All right. And... thanks. For, you know, taking me from the Dursleys," Harry looked down at his feet.

"You are welcome, Harry, but I had dearly hoped it would not come to you being forced to leave home. Have a good afternoon."

"And you, Professor." Harry turned and left the office. As he walked down the long corridors to Gryffindor Tower, he couldn't help but feel a shiver of happiness. Here was where he was home.

The Fat Lady was snoring softly in her portrait when Harry approached her.

"Excuse me," he said. When there was no response from her, he cleared his throat and tried again. "Excuse me!"

"What? Oh! _Another_ one of you students! Has the term started early without me being informed? A great deal of gratitude I get, without having to work overtime!"

"Lemon lolly." Harry said quickly.

"Yes, I'd like one of those, too. Oh, you mean for the password. Well, hurry in now, I haven't got all day." The Fat Lady swung forward and Harry clambered in. The welcome sight of the common room with its squashy red chairs greeted him, but the room was empty. Harry climbed the stairs and looked at the door. The sign had been changed to "Summer Before Sixth Year Boys Dormitory." Chuckling, Harry stepped into the room. The first thing he noticed was that there were not one, but two trunks on the floor. One was open and there was a suspiciously familiar maroon sleeve dangling over the edge... Was _Ron_ here early, too? Harry turned around and raced back down the stairs and through the common room. The Fat Lady wasn't too pleased.

"Running in and out and out and in, without any consideration for an old lady and her rest!"

"Sorry!" Harry called back as he tore down the stairs and into the Great Hall. At the sight of what lay before him, he stopped short. Ron was sitting at a long table, with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and their daughter Ginny. Hermione was sitting next to Ron. The five of them were chatting and laughing when Hermione noticed Harry.

"Harry!" She jumped up from her seat and threw her arms around him. "It's so good to see you! How have you been? Have the Dursleys been treating you okay?" she asked breathlessly. Harry grinned.

"Yeah, they were okay," he replied. "Why are you two here early, too?"

"I don't know. I think Ron's mum and dad are helping with some Hogwarts stuff for the Order, and Dumbledore owled me asking me to come early, but I just got here yesterday, I haven't talked to him yet," Hermione said uncertainly, putting a finger on her chin. "I wonder why he wants me here?" Harry was about to answer her when he was engulfed by a warmth that smelled like cinnamon and freshly baked bread.

"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley wiped a tear from her eye. "I hope those Muggles weren't too bad this summer? It's wonderful to see you again. Oh dear, but you're so thin! They haven't been feeding you right, have they? Sit down, have something to eat," Mrs. Weasley fussed.

"Hello, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, Ron, Ginny," Harry grinned.

"Hi, Harry," Ginny said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Hey, Harry, mate! We were just having an early dinner." Ron was wearing a maroon sweater with a big "R" on the front. "Come on, take a seat."

All thoughts of disguised Death Eaters flew out of his head as Harry sat down across from Ron and enjoyed the first full meal he'd had in two weeks. The six of them chatted happily about the latest Quidditch matches, Ron enthusiastically describing a recent game between the Wimbourne Wasps and the Chudley Cannons, which the Cannons narrowly won. Harry listened eagerly, but he couldn't help but think how normal everyone seemed to be, how unaffected by the loss of his godfather.

"That was a delicious pumpkin pie," Mr. Weasley said an hour later, patting his stomach. Mrs. Weasley shot a glare at him. "But, of course, nothing compared to yours, dear." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and she smiled.

"Well, I expect we'll be visiting Hogsmeade tomorrow to pick up a few things," Mrs. Weasley said.

"But with You-Know-Who around again, do you really think it's safe, dear?" Mr. Weasley asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Don't be silly, You-Know-Who wouldn't attempt an attack on Hogsmeade with so many wizards around," Mrs. Weasley reassured her husband. "We need to purchase some necessities if we're to be staying here for awhile, anyway. Let's meet in the entrance hall at 9 o'clock then?"

There was a chorus of agreement, but Harry was reminded sharply of a certain crumbling, dilapidated shack and a certain night under the full moon. He forced the thought away and pasted a weak grin on his face.

"All right. Good night, dears." Mrs. Weasley slipped her arm around Mr. Weasley's waist and the two left the Great Hall.

"It's been a long time since we've been to Hogsmeade, hasn't it?" Ron commented. "It'll be nice to have some butterbeer again."

"Aren't you worried about what your dad said?" Hermione asked. "He's right, it could be dangerous."

"You worry too much, Hermione," Ron said offhandedly. "You heard Mum, he wouldn't try to attack Hogsmeade, there are too many wizards."

"I wish we could go to Diagon Alley. I still haven't visited Fred and George's new joke shop yet. Mum isn't too happy about it. She refused to let us visit," Ginny said wistfully.

"Don't worry, Gin, we have to go to Diagon Alley to visit Gringott's before school starts. She can't stop us then!" Ron said cheerfully, reaching for a treacle tart. His hand was knocked away from the plate by a large white owl that had two envelopes attached to one leg, and one attached to the other.

"Hey!" Harry reached out and untied the string. Each envelope had a name on it. "Ronald Weasley," "Hermione Granger," and him, "Harry Potter." He handed the two to his friends and then opened his. Two pieces of parchment fluttered out. Harry picked up the smaller one.

"_Dear Mr. Potter, _

_As you have arrived at Hogwarts early, I thought you'd like to have your O.W.L. results a bit sooner."_

_Minvera McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress" _

Harry suddenly felt sick, the potatoes he'd eaten threatening to come back up again. The O.W.L. results. Would he have high enough marks to be an Auror? Professor McGonagall hadn't sounded angry. Allowing himself a tiny flame of hope, Harry picked up the other piece of parchment.

"_Dear Mr. Potter, _

_Enclosed you will find your O.W.L. results. Please take note of the following requirements for N.E.W.T. level classes: _

_Ancient Runes...O   
Arithmancy...E  
Astronomy...A  
Care of Magical Creatures...E  
Charms...E  
Defense Against the Dark Arts...O  
Divination...A  
Herbology...E  
History of Magic...A  
Muggle Studies...A  
Potions...E  
Transfiguration...E  
" _

Harry could hardly believe it. Snape was allowing "E" students into his class? Heart beating, he continued the letter.

"_Please review your O.W.L. results. _

_Astronomy...A   
Care of Magical Creatures...E  
Charms...E  
Defense Against the Dark Arts...O  
Divination...P  
Herbology...E  
History of Magic...P  
Potions...E  
Transfiguration...E_

_Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress" _

Seven O.W.L.'s! That was a respectable number, wasn't it? Harry looked up. Hermione had her eyes closed and appeared to be breathing in the scent of the parchment in her hands. Ron had a sort of relieved look on his face.

"How is it?"

"Not bad!" Ron said cheerfully, passing Harry his letter. "I got seven O.W.L.'s, what about you?"

"Seven," Harry said, giving Ron his. He wasn't a failure, he would be able to continue his studies, after all. Even Potions. Harry didn't want to think about another two long years with Snape, but what was more important was that he still had a chance of becoming an Auror. "What about you, Hermione?"

"Oh." Hermione peeked at them over the top of her letter. She couldn't quite seem to meet their eyes. "Elmph," she mumbled.

"What was that?" Ron asked, his eyebrows raised expectantly.

Hermione sighed. "Eleven."

"What!" Harry exclaimed. "That's brilliant, Hermione, really, it is! You passed every one you took! I bet you're the first student to get that many." Hermione beamed.

Ron didn't seem to be quite as joyful. He was glumly stirring the pudding in his bowl.

"Yeah, that's terrific," he said flatly. Puzzled, Harry glanced at him. Ron was resting his chin in his left hand. Hermione looked crushed, and then indignant.

"Hey, why don't we go up to the common room," Harry said quickly, anxious to head off what would certainly be another quarrel between his two best friends.

"Okay," Hermione said, standing up. "Coming, Ginny?" she added kindly.

"Sure," she replied, getting up out of her chair. The plates on the table instantly became sparkling clean again. The three waited as Ron got to his feet slowly after her, and then the four headed up the stairs, Ginny leading the way.

A short while later, they climbed over the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor common room. Ginny mentioned something about unpacking and headed up the stairs to the girls dormitory.

"I'm tired," Harry said, stifling a yawn. "I think I'll just go up to our room now."

"What! It's so early!" Ron exclaimed. Harry shrugged. "Okay, I guess I will, too," Ron said hastily.

"Okay, you guys go on ahead, I want to finish this book tonight," Hermione plopped herself down in an armchair and picked up an enormous leather-bound tome lying on the table next to it. She opened it to a bookmarked page and began reading eagerly, her head bent over and her hair swinging forward to cover her face. Ron looked at her incredulously. He opened his mouth, then seemed to think better of it, and closed it again.

"Come on, let's go before she ropes us into studying before school has even started," Ron muttered to Harry as he made for the stairs, Harry following behind. When they got to their dormitory, Ron threw himself onto his bed and turned to Harry, his head propped up by his left elbow.

"So, what's going on?" he asked.

"What d'you mean?"

"Harry, it is 7 o'clock. Even Ginny doesn't go to sleep this early."

Harry was silent for a moment. "I guess I'm just a little worried. There was... a Death Eater attack at the Dursleys this morning."

"What!" Ron sat up and stared at Harry. "Why? What happened?"

"Nothing. Kingsley, Tonks, and Moody arrived before they could do anything, and they Portkeyed me to Dumbledore's office." Harry decided against mentioning the Legilimency to Ron. He wasn't exactly sure himself what had happened, and he didn't want Ron to think he had an even deeper connection to Voldemort.

Ron looked at him as if he knew there was something Harry wasn't saying, but he let the subject drop. He rolled over onto his back and stared up at the canopy.

"What about you?" Harry asked.

"Me? What's wrong with me?"

"I don't know. You seemed a bit quiet earlier."

Ron seemed to be fighting an inner battle. Finally, he gave a sigh of frustration and turned to look at Harry again.

"It's... well...," Ron clenched his fists. "It's... Hermione."

Harry choked back a sudden urge to laugh. "Yeah?" he managed. Ron didn't seem to notice.

"I've been thinking," he began. Harry snorted. Ron ignored him and continued. "Why does Hermione spend her time with us, anyway? Eleven O.W.L.'s! What does she need us for, she could probably already take her N.E.W.T.'s and pass those, too," Ron said glumly, picking at a loose thread in his comforter.

Harry tried to think of a good answer to Ron's question. At last, he said,

"Well, we're friends, aren't we? Why does it matter if she got a couple more O.W.L.'s? And you're tons better than her at Quidditch and chess," Harry added.

Ron looked a little happier. "Yeah, that's true."

"Yeah." After a pause, Ron spoke again.

"Fancy a game of chess?"

Harry laughed. They spent the next three hours engaged in an intense battle that Ron won, involving a tyrannical king and a violent rook, with talk of the latest broom models and speculation on the next Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.


	3. Amicontego!

Chapter 3: _Amicontego!_

"_Ginny, little Ginny, there's no reason to be afraid. You have served me a great deal in the sacrifice of your soul, and Voldemort does not forget. He will remember your service," A faint, dark-haired figure laughed softly. Harry could see his outline becoming more and more defined each second. He heard himself utter a strangled sob. Confused, he tried to sit up. His arms would not support him, and he could barely keep his eyes open. The ground beneath him was hard and cold, oh, so cold. _

_"Harry..." he whispered. Harry's head was pounding and it hurt to concentrate, but he could see himself in his mind's eye, and he was fighting fiercely to send a silent message to Harry Potter, wherever he was, to tell him not to come... _

_"Yes, my dear. Your precious Harry Potter will undoubtedly venture down to the Chamber of Secrets in hopes of saving you, the fool that he is." A sinister laugh, a laugh of excitement and glory. Tom, that was his name. Tom Riddle. Voldemort. _

No, Harry Don't come, get away, get far, far away. Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I've been such an idiot, please, please, Harry, save yourself... _Harry was startled to feel wetness on his cheeks. He heard footsteps, and his last glimpse was of a skinny boy in torn and dirty robes, staring at him with very familiar green eyes... and an expression of utmost terror. Harry knew without a doubt that he was dying. _

Harry's eyes flew open. He was no longer in the Chamber of Secrets, but in his bed in the boys dormitory. Pre-dawn light streamed in from the open window, lighting up dust motes that had been thrown into chaos with Harry's sudden movement. Harry fumbled for his glasses, found them, and then slipped them on. Breathing a sigh of relief, he sat up and looked around. Harry could still feel his heart beating furiously. There was no sound but the soft snoring coming from the bed next to his.

He leaned back against his headboard, mulling over what he had seen in his dream. Harry was fairly sure that it was not another vision. No, he was quite certain that he had seen the events of his second year. He'd had nightmares of that night, yes, but this one was different. In this one, he saw through Ginny's eyes. At least, he thought grimly, he hadn't seen everything through the eyes of Voldemort.

Ron groaned and rolled over onto his back. He opened his eyes a bit, and then threw his left arm over his face to block the light.

"What time is it?" he asked sleepily.

"Dunno. Pretty early."

Ron turned his face away from the sun, and after a few minutes of silence, Harry heard the snores starting again.

But Harry was too keyed up to go back to sleep. He got up and dressed, then made his way down the stairs into the common room. No one was there. Harry sank into a chair facing a window, but he barely noticed the glorious morning light show that was taking place before him. Instead, his thoughts turned, as they often did, to Sirius. Harry cursed himself again for being so stupid. If only he had remembered the mirror, if only he had not been so stupid as to believe that dream, if only he could have somehow stopped Sirius from falling into the veil. The mysterious veil.

Harry vaguely recalled Dumbledore referring to the room with the dais as the Death Chamber, but what did that really mean? Were people sent to die there? Why wasn't it in use now? Who had created it? Where did those voices he had heard come from? Why couldn't he go through the veil? Harry remembered being pulled back by Lupin..._ Lupin_! He could ask Professor Lupin. Harry immediately felt guilty for not writing to him sooner. Harry spotted a sheet of parchment and a quill lying on a nearby table.

_Dear Professor Lupin, _

_How have you been? Are you still living at headquarters? I wanted to ask about the veil. Can you tell me about it? Like why it's there, and what happens to the people who go through? If it's so dangerous, why hasn't it been destroyed? And have you ever heard voices when you were near the veil? _

_I hope everything with the Order is going okay. Is the house still clean without Ron's mum around? More importantly, has Kreacher died yet? Just joking. Sort of. Well, you know what I mean. _

_Hope you're all right,  
Harry_

Harry tucked the letter into his pocket. He would find time later to visit the Owlery. Harry checked his watch again to discover that it was nearing eight. He was rather hungry, dinner had been early last night. Maybe he should go up and wake Ron. Harry wasn't sure how he would get Hermione and Ginny to come down without breaking something on the way. He laughed as he remembered Ron's ride down the slide when he had attempted to climb the girls' staircase.

"What's so funny?" Hermione was coming down the stairs, covering her mouth as she yawned.

"Remember Ron when he tried to go up to your room?" Harry asked, laughing again.

"Ron tried to go up to my room?" Hermione asked, her cheeks turning pink.

"Yeah, and the stairs turned into a slide," Harry said impatiently.

"Oh... right," Hermione said, not sounding as if she remembered at all. Then she yawned again. "I'm so tired. _The House Elf's Life_ was so fascinating that I stayed up all night finishing it."

Harry snorted at Hermione's idea of fun.

"Is Ron ready yet? I'm so hungry," Ginny had come down, too. She looked pale and there were dark shadows under her brown eyes. Harry looked at her, noticing how tired she seemed. Was it possible that she had dreamt the same nightmare as he had?

"I don't know. Do you think I should go get him?" he asked slowly. Ginny cocked her head and lifted her eyebrows.

"Are you o–" she began.

"Don't worry, I'm here," said Ron's voice, muffled by the jumper over his head. He pulled it on and then said, "Let's go."

The four went down to the Great Hall and sat down at the single, long table, which was already filled with a few Hogwarts professors and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. After greeting everyone, the four sat down.

"Mmm," Ginny said, dumping sausages and scrambled eggs onto her plate as everyone around her tucked in.

As they were finishing breakfast, Dumbledore stood up and walked over.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione... would you be so kind as to come with me to my office?" he asked politely.

Harry shot a nervous glance at Ron, wondering what they had done now. Ron looked just as bewildered.

"What is it, Professor?" Hermione asked, her voice a pitch higher than usual.

"All will be explained in good time. Come, follow me." And with that, he swept up the stairs, the trio hesitantly following behind him. When they reached his office, Dumbledore conjured up three purple armchairs, and motioned for them to sit down.

"Harry, in my letter I wrote to you that I believed there was better protection for you here at Hogwarts. I still believe so, but I fear that that has not been enough to keep Voldemort–"

"Be quiet, Ron!" Hermione hissed, kicking Ron's left shin. Ron clapped his hand over his mouth.

Dumbledore continued on like nothing had happened.

"–from attacking your mind, as he did this past year. Fortunately, I have found what I believe is a suitable protection for guarding your mind against further invasions. It is a spell that is not often used, because it is so rarely needed, but it is powerful, yes, and effective. For the spell to work, however, you need the power of someone with whom you have a close relationship." Dumbledore turned to Ron and Hermione. "This is where you two may help. The friendship you share with Harry will be more than sufficient for this purpose. When I perform the spell, you will feel a slight disorientation, as if you have forgotten a great part of your life, but the sensation will only last for a few minutes. Your strength, combined with the wards of the castle, will enable Harry's mind to withstand even Voldemort's assaults. But only, of course, if you are willing." Dumbledore gazed at them with the penetrating stare Harry was only too accustomed to.

"How exactly does this work?" Hermione asked.

"Other than the initial effects, you will feel nothing," Dumbledore answered. "Loyalty, along with courage, are very powerful qualities that you and Ron both possess in great amounts. This spell helps to use those qualities to shield Harry from any probing Voldemort will attempt on him, especially when Harry is at his weakest.

"This will also eliminate any need of more Occlumency lessons from Professor Snape," Dumbledore added, a twinkle in his eye.

"Not that I wouldn't sacrifice a bit for Harry, but if he's using our courage, what happens to us?" Hermione pressed.

"Whenever there is great demand of either loyalty or courage, Hermione, you will find that you have no limits," Dumbledore said, peering at her over his half-moon spectacles.

Hermione smiled.

"Let's do this, then," she said. Ron nodded, though he was still shuddering from the mention of Voldemort. Harry felt a sudden constriction in his throat.

"Do you agree to this, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"They won't be affected in any way? What if Voldemort tries to attack them?" Harry said in a rush.

"Hermione and Ron will be perfectly all right. Voldemort can only attack you from such a great distance, Harry, because of your connection to him. The only way he could ever harm Hermione or Ron is if they were face to face, which, I assure you, will not happen as long as you three remain at Hogwarts. In any case, their defense against him will be exactly as it is had they not participated in this spell. Perhaps their defense would be even greater."

"There's absolutely no way I can do this without Ron or Hermione?" Harry asked sadly.

"It's okay, mate," Ron said quietly. "I–we– want to do this."

Harry took a deep breath.

"Okay, Professor."

"Will you please stand up, then?" Dumbledore asked, motioning to Ron and Hermione. When they had gotten to their feet, Dumbledore produced a small red garnet. For a split second Harry thought he was seeing the Philosopher's Stone again. "Place a hand on this, please."

Ron put his hand down a split second after Hermione, accidentally covering her hand with his.

"Sorry," Ron mumbled, flustered. He moved his hand.

"Ready?" Dumbledore asked. Ron and Hermione nodded.

"_Amicontego!"_

There was a bright purple flash, which faded instantly. The garnet glowed for a moment, and Harry could feel the heat emanating from it. Ron and Hermione looked shaken, though pleased. Dumbledore conjured up a thin gold chain, and then passed it through a small hole in the garnet. He handed the necklace to Harry, who put it on. The effect was amazing. Harry felt as if his mind had been covered in dust and cobwebs, and was only just being cleansed and freed. He suddenly felt better than he had in weeks, ever since Sirius's death.

"Sit down, rest for a bit," Dumbledore lead Ron to his chair and helped him into it. Ron had a dazed expression on his face. Hermione swayed slightly where she was standing, then sank to her knees on the carpet. Harry hurried to help her into her chair.

"Will they be all right?" he asked anxiously.

"In a few moments, yes."

Harry waited in tense silence, twisting a corner of his shirt. Ron and Hermione... his best friends. They had been through so much together, and they were so willing to help him. Harry blinked his eyes, which had somehow become wet, and turned his head to look out the window. Dumbledore pretended not to notice.

Ron stirred, then sat up. He gingerly touched the side of his head.

"Ahh... I feel like I just did ten hours' worth of Divination homework," he muttered ruefully. Next to him, Hermione was taking slow, deep breaths.

"Thank... thank you," Harry said, not knowing quite where to look.

"Oh! You're welcome, Harry, you know that," Hermione replied.

"Yeah," Ron echoed, the tips of his ears turning pink.

"Come on, I think Mrs. Weasley is waiting for us," Harry said. Ron and Hermione slowly got to their feet to follow Harry.

"Thank you, Professor " Harry called back as they left his office. Dumbledore gave them a nod.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Ron moaned,

"What were you wearing, Hermione? Steel-toed boots?" He bent down to rub his leg.

"Well, you really should start saying 'Voldemort.' Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself, remember?" Hermione said.

"Easy for you to say," Ron muttered. "You didn't grow up knowing about all the horrible things You-Know-Who did."

Hermione tutted but said nothing.

"Er... are you sure you're okay? Maybe we should go to the common room instead..." Harry said uncertainly as Ron suddenly lurched against the stone wall, bracing himself with his right palm.

"Yeah... yeah... I mean, no... I'm all right," Ron said dazedly. Hermione looked at him with concern.

"We shouldn't keep Mum waiting, she doesn't like that," Ron mumbled. He stumbled down the hall. Harry and Hermione looked at each other and then followed him.

The trio made their way down to the Great Hall, where Mrs. Weasley was busy smoothing Mr. Weasley's robes.

"Hi, Mum," Ron said. Harry and Hermione echoed a greeting.

"Oh thank goodness the three of you are here. Off we go, then?" Mrs. Weasley led them outside, where a carriage was waiting for them. They hurriedly climbed in. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as she relaxed against the cushioned interior.

By the time they arrived in Hogsmeade, Ron had fallen asleep. His loud snores filled the carriage as Mrs. Weasley attempted to speak over him.

"Here we are!" she said. "Stay together, and meet us back here in exactly two hours, mind!" Mrs. Weasley handed the carriage driver a handful of Sickles and then she and her husband walked into the bustling crowd on the narrow street.

Harry elbowed Ron, who promptly shoved him back and went on sleeping.

"Let's just leave him here," Ginny said cheerfully.

"I have other patrons waiting, you know," the carriage driver said disdainfully.

Hermione reached for Ron's hand and pulled him to his feet. Ron blinked and gripped Hermione's hand harder, his knuckles turning white. Ginny giggled.

"Ouch, Ron! You're hurting me " Hermione said, snatching her hand from his. Harry gave Ginny an inquiring look, but she just shook her head at him.

"I know how to wake him," Ginny said confidently, after her laughter had subsided. She bent over Ron and tugged on his ear, then whispered something. Instantly Ron bolted upright, glancing around wildly. He threw a look of disgust at Ginny, who burst into laughter again.

"Come on, let's go," Ron said roughly.

The four of them wandered into the bustling streets. As they walked, Harry thought he saw a woman from the group that had rescued him last summer. Had her name been Hester Jones? Maybe it wasn't her at all. But two minutes later, Harry caught sight of another woman he was sure he had seen around headquarters. Why was he seeing so many Order members? Harry was so deep in thought that he barely noticed when Ginny suddenly stopped walking right outside of Zonko's Joke Shop.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing to the display in the window.

The sign said "PARROT PUFFS!" and there was a tray of multi-colored cream puffs.

"You don't think..." Ron began. They looked at each other, then pushed through the swinging doors into the crowded shop.

There was a commotion going on near the counter, and they edged their way through the mass of moving bodies. People near the front were laughing as a small man took a bite out of a Parrot Puff and then turned into a blue, green, yellow, and red parrot. A few minutes later, his feather fell out and the man re-emerged, smiling and chuckling along with the enchanted crowd.

"Parrot Puffs! They'll be the hit of your dinner party!" said another man, who was waving brightly colored boxes.

"They didn't!" Hermione said indignantly.

"They copied Fred and George!" Ron shouted. He lunged toward the two men, Ginny barely catching the back of his shirt. Hermione hurried to help her.

At Ron's words, the two men had looked over. They were both wearing identical looks of surprise. Harry saw them turn towards each other and whisper with their heads bowed. He caught the words "Are you sure he's not one of those Weasley twins?"

"No," Ginny said decisively, after Ron had stopped struggling. "There's a better way to get back at them." Harry recognised the mischievous twinkle in her eyes as the ones he'd seen so often in the twins'.

"What do you have in mind?" Ron growled.

"Ginny, are you sure this is a good idea?" Hermione said worriedly.

"We're just going to... help Fred and George a bit, all right?"

"How?" Harry asked, intrigued.

"Let's see..," Ginny glanced around the corner of the shop they were in. "Come on," she whispered as she bent down. The others took her lead and followed her as she inched her way behind a pyramid of blue biscuit tins. She drew out her wand and muttered a spell. With her wand tip at her mouth, Ginny said clearly, "Go to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, ninety three Diagon Alley. "

Ron's eyes lit up and he grabbed the wand from her. He paused for a moment, holding the wand high over his head as Ginny jumped to try to snatch it back.

"What are you doing? " she hissed. Ron seemed to be thinking for a bit, and then he put the wand to his mouth.

"_If your enemy won't leave you alone,  
And you just can't seem to escape,  
All you do is moan and groan,  
Wait and watch revenge take shape.  
You see, all you really have to do,  
Whenever you feel like winning,  
Just hurry and whip out the Floo,  
I swear you'll find yourself grinning,  
Because there's nothing else that pleases,  
As much as Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!" _

Harry, Hermione, and Ginny burst out laughing as Ron finished his song. Ginny quickly ended the spell, then grabbed her wand back from Ron and furiously wiped it clean on her shirt.

"Did you just make that up?" she asked, after thoroughly inspecting her wand for saliva.

"Yeah," Ron said, his ears turning pink.

"That was brilliant!" Harry laughed.

"Shh! Watch what happens," Ginny whispered.

At that moment a horde of shoppers, each carrying a PARROTS PUFFS box, pushed past the teenagers and opened the door. Instantly they could hear Ginny saying, "Come to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes " and then Ron's song came on. The shoppers laughed and applauded at the end, which attracted the attention of the two men who had been advertising the PARROT PUFFS. They stalked over as the song came on again. The whole shop was buzzing with laughter and excited chatter.

Harry gave a start as he saw the men catch sight of them.

"Hey, you!" The shorter man yelled, running over.

"I thought you said he wasn't a Weasley twin!" the taller man hissed furiously.

"Come on!" Harry yelled, grabbing the nearest sleeve and yanking it along with him. As he pushed through the door he heard the other man whine, "I didn't think he was!"

The four of them raced out the door, setting off the song again, and down the cobbled street. They didn't stop until they reached a narrow alleyway, where they bent down to catch their breath.

Ginny was laughing so hard she couldn't speak. Harry look sideways at her, and noticed that her hair was hanging over her eyes and in her mouth. He also noticed that she didn't seem quite so tired anymore. In fact, she looked really nice, smiling... just there. Without meaning to, Harry found himself comparing this laughing Ginny to the sobbing Cho. Immediately, he felt guilty. It wasn't Cho's fault that Cedric had died. She must have been terribly sad. How would he feel if Ginny died? It wasn't the same, he reassured himself. Not the same at all. Confused by his own thoughts, Harry turned away. He was relieved to see that Ron and Hermione hadn't noticed anything. They were too busy laughing themselves.

Ginny turned and caught Harry's eye.

"What's wrong?" she asked, grinning.

"Nothing," Harry replied automatically. "Well, I wanted to ask you something" he amended, shifting his weight to his other leg.

"Yes?" Ginny asked, tucking her hair behind her ears and looking up at him with a concerned expression. Harry took a deep breath.

"Did you have a strange drea–"

But Harry was cut off by a series of shrieks from around the corner. All of a sudden a chill fell over the cosy alleyway. Harry didn't need to tell the others what was going on. Everyone present knew exactly what was on the other side of the corner.

Dementors.


	4. Escape and Explanation

**A/N**: Wow. I'm totally amazed that people are actually reading this. Reviews are greatly appreciated. You have no idea how much they motivate me. :) I finally finished writing the fourth chapter after not touching my story for over a year because one single person left a review. Thank you so much. By the way, would anyone like to beta read for me?

* * *

Chapter 4: Escape and Explanation

Ron and Hermione had stopped laughing, and Hermione had her hands over her ears. Harry fought to regain control as, for the second time that day, he was thrown unmercifully into the Chamber of Secrets. Harry saw Ginny lying on the cold stone floor, and he once again felt the same terror in that horrible moment when he believed her gone forever. Harry stumbled blindly, his hands groping along the wall. He touched something. Something soft. Ginny. Ginny's hand. She was here, she was safe, she was alive. Harry let out a shaky breath of relief as the Chamber of Secrets faded from his mind's eye, and he managed to opened his eyes. Ginny was curled up in a ball, hugging her knees and rocking back and forth. She was whispering fervently and she looked like she was about to pass out.

Harry pulled out his wand and tried desperately to conjure up a happy thought, but the Chamber of Secrets was clouding his mind again, he had to come up with something now... He wished he had some chocolate. A small bit was all he needed, really. Chocolate... like the chocolate Ginny had given him that day in the library. It had been warm and sweet. Sweet… like Ginny.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry roared. Prongs, silvery and bright, burst forth from his wand. He circled Ginny twice and then galloped around the corner, Harry running behind him. A dozen Dementors huddled in a circle and Harry could see limp forms within it. Prongs lowered his head and charged through the line so that the circle was broken. Regardless, the Dementors seemed unperturbed and re-formed their circle. Harry felt the familiar chilling cold descending in his mind again, but just then a silver dragon shot past him and Harry's mind cleared.

"G-Ginny?" he asked weakly. Ginny nodded without looking at him.

"Hermione and Ron are coming, too."

They skidded up behind Ginny, panting.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Hermione screamed.

"It's no use, Hermione..." Ron's voice cracked.

The Dementors had broken their circle and Harry could see, with a punch to his stomach, that all of the figures lying on the ground were dead. No, worse than dead. They turned towards the quartet, seeking the warmth and life energy they could sense. Slowly, but not slow enough, they glided forward.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Ginny cried.

"We have to get out of here!" Harry yelled, snapping to his senses.

"Where!" Hermione shrieked.

"Snuffles's cave!" Ron shouted, turning. "It's right up this way! The rocks will slow them down!"

"Hold on!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Ginny! Now's not the time!" Harry bellowed. Ginny ignored him and darted into the Honeydukes across the street. She came back out with an armful of chocolate.

"Let's go!" Ron cried, taking some chocolate from Ginny and then running. The others did the same. They reached the turnstile at the end of the road and then started climbing the rock face. They found out it was rather difficult to climb with handfuls of chocolate. Ron began stuffing his chocolate into his pants.

"Dump them in here! Quick!" Ron ordered.

"Gross!" Ginny shrieked. "I'm not eating chocolate from your pants!"

"Here, Ginny," Hermione said calmly, holding out her money bag. Ginny shot her a grateful look and emptied her arms. Ron snorted.

"Need some space, mate?" he asked Harry.

"No thanks, I'm good," Harry said. "Hurry!"

They reached the crevice about halfway up the mountain and squeezed their way into the cave. Harry immediately caught a whiff of the lingering scent of wet dog, which brought back memories of Sirius that he would rather not think about, not now.

"What do we do now?" Hermione asked.

"Wait until they're gone, I guess," Harry answered nervously.

"Here, have some chocolate," Ginny offered. Harry gratefully accepted the piece from her and stuffed it into his mouth. Ron was peering into his pants and poking around.

"Oy, I think some fell out while I was running up the mountain," Ron murmured. Despite the situation, Hermione giggled.

Ron fished out a bit of chocolate and unwrapped it. He looked around for a place to sit before putting the chocolate in his mouth.

"You know, this rock may look hard, but it's actually pretty soft," Ron mused, shifting around.

"Ron!" Ginny exclaimed suddenly. "Don't you think you ought to go somewhere a bit more private!"

"What?" Ron asked, bewildered. A brown substance was slowly spreading out from under Ron.

"That's not... that's chocolate!" Harry groaned.

"Oh," Ginny said.

Ron leaped up from his rock and ran around the corner, his ears as red as his hair. When he came back, all trace of chocolate was gone.

"How'd you get rid of it?" Harry asked.

"A Scouring Charm," Ron shrugged. "Mum made us learn it before we left for Hogwarts first year."

"Ron! You know we're not allowed to do magic outside of school!" Hermione admonished.

"Hey, I already tried the Patronus. What's another spell? I could say it was to keep the dementors from mistaking me for Malfoy," Ron protested.

"The Patronus," Ginny murmured. "We only knew how to do that because of you, Harry. And the DA."

"Yeah, it was helpful," Hermione added. "Are you going to continue the DA?"

"Well… we only needed it because Umbridge wasn't teaching us anything useful," Harry pointed out. "Now that she's gone, we don't really need to sneak around anymore."

"What if the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is just as horrible?" Ginny asked.

"Then we'll pick up right where we left off," Harry grinned at her.

Ginny was satisfied with this answer, and the four lapsed into a momentary silence. Then Ginny spoke up again.

"What's going on?" she asked softly.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, puzzled.

"I mean… everything." Ginny opened her arms wide as if to encompass the world. "Why we went to the Ministry of Magic. Why it was so important for you to get that prophecy. What the prophecy actually said. Your… your connection to You-Know-Who."

Harry had been bothered by the implications of the prophecy ever since he'd heard the whole thing in Dumbledore's office. He had also been unsure as to whether or not he should share it with his friends. Ron and Hermione were his best friends, yes, and the three of them had gone through everything together… but what if they became afraid of him? What if they didn't want to be friends with him anymore?

Harry leaned over to look at the ground and was startled as he felt something heavy swing from his neck. His hand absently reached up and closed around a small stone. Of course. How could he have forgotten, even momentarily? Harry looked back up.

And met Ginny's questioning gaze.

Ginny. She had changed so much from when he first met her. Gone was the shy, blushing, little girl he'd first seen at The Burrow. Ginny had been with him when he went to the Ministry of Magic. She'd fought beside him then, and again today. She, too, had been possessed by Voldemort before. Did he trust her? Harry was startled by how quickly he found the answer within himself. _Yes._

"Harry?" Ginny finally broke the silence.

Harry took a deep breath and recounted the prophecy as best he could. He told them that Professor Trelawney had been the one who had given it to Dumbledore, that the one in the Ministry of Magic had smashed, that Dumbledore had been the one who had finally told him the whole prophecy.

"So," he finished, "I'm the one who has to defeat Voldemort in the end. Me."

Silence met his words. Harry refused to look at any of them, afraid of what reaction he might find. His doubts were shattered a moment later when Ginny got up and simply put her arms around him. She released him a moment later, and Hermione was next. Ron gave him an awkward pat on the back.

"You're not alone, mate," he muttered.

* * *

**A/N**: Short chapter, I know. Something very interesting happens in the next one, though. :) Please review. I love to know what you guys think. 


	5. A Darkened Star

Chapter 5: A Darkened Star

Harry woke with a start. He quickly sat up, realizing that it was already morning. After his confession last night, the four of them had talked late into the night before finally falling asleep on the hard rock floor of the cave. Harry stifled a laugh as he remembered the awkwardness of figuring out the sleeping arrangements. It had been Hermione who had suggested, averting her eyes from Ron and with a slight pink blush to her cheeks, that the four of them should sleep close together to share their body heat and keep them all warmer in the cold night. Ron had immediately agreed, much to Harry and Ginny's amusement. The four teenagers had finally arranged themselves in a row, with Ron and Ginny in the middle, Harry next to Ron, and Hermione next to Ginny. Harry remembered the slight disappointment he'd felt when everyone agreed on the sleeping arrangement, but he couldn't figure out why.

Surprisingly, he'd had a very restful sleep, despite the discomfort of the cave. The nightmares that had plagued him all summer hadn't bothered him at all. He had dreamt of something, but it was a memory of sunlight and laughter.

"Mm," the warm body next to him murmured, then shifted positions. Harry's eyes widened as he realized that, somehow, during the night, he'd rolled right up next to Ginny. She felt so warm and soft lying next to him that for a moment he just closed his eyes and savored the feeling. Reluctantly and careful not to disturb her, Harry got up and moved a safe distance away. He stifled another laugh as his eyes fell on Ron and Hermione. The compromising position he'd found himself in with Ginny was nothing compared to his two friends. Ron had pressed himself right up against Hermione's back, one arm slung over her waist and his face buried in the nape of her neck. Harry decided against touching either of them, waiting with anticipation to see what would happen.

Hermione woke up first. After a moment's pause, she realized someone was on top of her and started scooting away, but then she recognized who it was. Hermione bit her lip and, hesitantly, nestled deeper into Ron's embrace. With a smile softly playing at the corners of her mouth, she closed her eyes again and relaxed her body.

_Good job, Hermione._ Harry thought with satisfaction.

A few minutes later, Ron woke up as well. Instinctively, he tightened his grip on Hermione, but his mouth dropped open in shock when he realized exactly what—or who—he was holding. Ron quickly released Hermione as if she'd burned him and checked her face, heaving a sigh of relief when she appeared to still be asleep. His face bright red, Ron got up and looked around. His eyes lighted on Harry, who was struggling to contain his laughter behind his hands. Ron shot him a glare, but before either could say anything, both heard footsteps sounding near the cave entrance.

Harry's first thought was that the dementors had arrived, but he quickly checked himself when he remembered that dementors would not make any noise. Who had found them?

The shadow of a tall and thin man darkened the entrance.

"Ah, Harry, Ron, I see you two are already awake," Dumbledore smiled. "Are the girls still sleeping, then? Best to wake them up, as we must be getting you four back to Hogwarts. Your parents are quite worried, Ron, especially when we heard of the dementor attacks on Hogsmeade, and you four did not return to the meeting spot."

"Professor Dumbledore!" Harry exclaimed. "Yeah, we saw them. We ran up here to hide from them."

Ron had walked over to Ginny and was shaking her shoulder roughly. "Wake up, Gin!" Ginny groaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes. Ron crouched down next to Hermione and, careful not to touch her, leaned in and spoke softly in her ear. "Hermione? It's time to wake up. We have to go."

Ginny raised her eyebrows at him. "Why couldn't you wake me up like _that_?" she asked. Ron ignored her.

"Right then," Dumbledore said. "Now that we're all awake and well-rested, we had best be going. Hogsmeade is not as safe as we all might like. Hurry now, you can have a bite to eat when we reach Hogwarts." Dumbledore turned and led the way down the rocky slope, the four teenagers following him.

As Harry walked through the empty streets of Hogsmeade, he couldn't help but shiver. The town looked deserted. Everyone had either fled or hidden behind closed doors and boarded up windows. Harry wondered about the dementors' victims, but he quickly banished the thought. He didn't want to think about soulless people, not when he himself had come so close to becoming one. He did have another question that he could ask, though.

"Professor Dumbledore? When the dementors attacked, we all conjured Patroni…" Harry explained. "And Ron used a charm later… I know we're not supposed to do underage magic, but we didn't receive any owls or anything from the Ministry. Will we be punished?"

"Not to worry, Harry. The Ministry has relaxed some of its restrictions so that underage wizards may defend themselves if they need to. In any case, whatever magic that happens within Hogwarts is shielded from the Ministry's control," Dumbledore assured the teenagers.

When they arrived at Hogsmeade, a carriage was waiting to take them back up to the castle. Harry looked at Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, wondering if they could now see the thestral that waited patiently in front of the carriage. The other three appeared to have no reaction, though, so Harry guessed that they needed to actually see a physical death.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were waiting for them in front of the castle, Mrs. Weasley with her face buried in Mr. Weasley's chest. He was patting her comfortingly on the back, trying to sooth her sobs. Mrs. Weasley turned when she heard the clatter of wheels on the stones.

"You're all right!" she cried, engulfing the four in hugs the moment they stepped out of the carriage. "I thought… I thought… Oh, I'm so happy to see you all safe!"

Mrs. Weasley's worry was shortlived, though. The next morning, Harry was startled when, after breakfast in the Great Hall, Mrs. Weasley plopped down a list of chores in front of him and Ron.

"What's this, Mum?" Ron eyed the scrolls warily.

"We've got to clean up the castle for the start of term, dear!" Mrs. Weasley chirped happily. "Professor Dumbledore has been very gracious, allowing us to stay here for the summer. The least we can do is help in tidying up the school."

Harry was about to bring up the house elves, but one look at Hermione was all that was needed to deter him from that particular course of action.

"Your mum is right, Ron! We should absolutely do our part," Hermione beamed.

Ron snorted, then smiled as he quickly figured out a way to get out of cleaning. "Oh, Mum," Ron moaned. "I think I'm still feeling a bit faint from the dementor attack… and my night spent in a cold, dark cave…"

Harry burst out laughing as Mrs. Weasley gave her son a withering glance. "Don't be silly, Ron, you've had all of last night to rest up. The castle is quite big; we'll need all the time we can get. Now let's see… Harry, dear, why don't you start with the Astronomy Tower? You should pair up now…"

"I'll go with him," Ginny volunteered. Harry glanced at her; she seemed completely relaxed.

Harry was climbing the stairs to the second floor, Ginny behind him, before either said anything.

"You know why I volunteered to go with you, don't you?" Ginny asked softly. Harry's mouth suddenly went dry and his heart stopped beating.

"No…" he managed to choke out.

"We absolutely need to talk about Ron and Hermione," Ginny finished. "Are you okay?" she gave him a sidelong glance. "What did you think I wanted to do?"

"N-nothing," Harry hastily replied.

"You've spent more time with them," Ginny mused. "Does it seem to you like they like each other?"

"I guess so," Harry answered, not sure where Ginny was going.

"But my brother is too stubborn to admit it," Ginny said. "So it's up to us, Harry."

"Us? What are we supposed to do?" Harry asked, puzzled.

"Make them realize what everyone else already knows," Ginny replied confidently.

"Any ideas yet?" Harry asked.

"No… but we'll think of something," Ginny hummed as they finally reached the tower. The classroom was circular and decorated in tones of dark blue. Large tables were scattered about, each covered with parchment mapping the celestial sky. In the center of the room were three-dimensional models of the solar system, galaxies, and the universe. What really amazed Harry, though, was the ceiling. It depicted the entire night sky, complete with twinkling stars made of light in their constellations.

"What a beautiful room," Ginny breathed.

"You've never had an Astronomy lesson before?" Harry asked.

"No, but maybe I'll sign up for it. This room… makes me feel so small and insignificant," Ginny went on, "but not in a bad way. I don't know."

"I know what you mean," Harry quickly responded. "You realize just how tiny and fleeting you are when measured on such a grand scale."

"Yeah…" Ginny agreed. A moment of silence descended, then, "What should we do first?"

"Well," Harry looked out the doors that led to the balcony and the stairway up to the viewing platform with the telescopes. "I suppose we could leave the outside for later. Let's start by rolling up these maps and putting them away."

The two worked in comfortable silence, first putting away the maps, then dusting the tables, and then scouring the floor. Harry had climbed up a ladder to fix some of the stars in the ceiling when he noticed that one in particular was not shining. Curious, he inspected it more closely. It appeared to be attached to something… Harry grasped the star and was surprised to feel it solid within his palm. Harry tugged. A small door, perfectly camouflaged, became outlined in midair. Harry pulled harder, and the door silently swung open. Harry saw a small crawlspace that ended in a staircase.

"Harry?" Ginny asked from below. She was kneeling over something on the ground. Harry quickly closed the door and descended the ladder. He would try to come back some other time. Should he tell Ginny? No, he decided. He didn't even know what it was yet. It might just be storage space. And, he thought, it might not be safe.

"What?" Harry asked, walking to where Ginny was on the floor. "Is something wrong?"

Ginny looked up at him and smiled. She had a smudge of dirt on her nose, Harry noticed. "You have some dirt on your face," Harry mumbled.

"Here?" Ginny wiped her left cheek, but her dusty hand only succeeded in leaving a trail of grime in its wake. "Oh, shoot."

"Let me help before you get yourself any dirtier," Harry laughed. He rubbed his sleeve over her cheek and then her nose.

"Thanks!" Ginny said. "I think it's time for a break."

"Is it time for lunch yet?" Harry asked as he followed Ginny to the door. Before shutting the door and going down the stairs, Harry turned for one last glance at the secret passageway he'd found.

* * *

**A/N:** Reviews make me write faster. 


	6. Can You Feel It?

Chapter 6: Can You Feel It?

The secret passageway Harry had discovered in the Astronomy classroom still lingered in his mind, but he also couldn't stop thinking about how he had managed to perform Legilimency on the Death Eaters who had come to Privet Drive. Now that he had had time to ponder over it, he supposed that, logically, if the Dark Lord could do it, then he should be able to. If not that, then the fact that he had practiced Occlumency should have somehow facilitated his skill at Legilimency. It was all very confusing, so Harry figured that getting alone so he could think would be a good idea.

Early Saturday morning found Harry sneaking down to the empty common room. He coaxed up a fire from the glowing embers that were left in the fireplace. It was summer, but the air still had an early morning chill to it. Harry breathed a sigh of contentment as the flames roared to life and he felt the warmth bathe him. As Harry settled back into a particularly squashy armchair, though, his mind couldn't help but turn to Ginny. He had enjoyed spending time with her immensely. She was so lighthearted and full of life that he couldn't help but feel cheerful around her. It was strange, Harry mused, to become closer friends with someone who was not either Ron or Hermione. Strange, but welcome nevertheless.

Where would Ginny be now? Harry speculated. Probably still sleeping up in Gryffindor Tower. Harry wondered whether she and Hermione were sharing a room. Thinking about Ginny sleeping brought forth more questions as Harry recalled the disturbing nightmare he'd had a few nights ago. That time, he'd seen through Ginny's eyes. Did Ginny still have nightmares about her first year at Hogwarts? Could she still feel the icy chill of the Chamber's ground? Unbidden, images of the Chamber of Secrets coursed through Harry's mind's eye again. Suddenly, the images stopped, replaced abruptly with a field of velvet red. Harry grabbed at his chest as he struggled to breathe. _What the hell?_

A few moments passed before his vision cleared and he could see normally. His breathing became light and even once again. Confused, Harry struggled to place where he'd seen that velvet red before. The answer came to him like a bolt of lightning—it was the same thing he saw every time he woke up abruptly from a nightmare. The velvet red was the underside of the canopy on his four-poster bed.

Harry's thoughts were interrupted when he heard light footsteps on the stairs. He stiffened, internally groaning. _Not now_. Harry wasn't in the mood for company and meaningless conversation. He heard whoever it was settle into an armchair just outside his peripheral vision and let out a weary sigh.

"Hi," came a soft voice. Ginny. Harry turned to face her. Her red hair was tousled, and she was still wearing the clothes she'd slept in—an oversized grey sweater and dark red sweats. She looked pale, and she was trembling a bit. Ginny curled her legs underneath her and tried to warm her bare feet with her hands. "Good morning. What are you doing up so early? I didn't expect anyone to be down in the common room yet."

"Hey," he answered. Surprisingly, he found that he didn't mind Ginny's company all that much. "I don't know… I just wanted to be alone for a bit, I guess."

"Oh!" Ginny started. "I'm sorry. I can go back up to my room if you want. I just—"

"No, it's okay," Harry interrupted. He smiled gently at her. "I wouldn't mind some company."

Ginny smiled gratefully and sank back into her armchair. "Me neither." Her hands were still shaking a bit.

"You don't look too well," Harry observed.

"I'm fine," Ginny replied automatically. When Harry raised a suspicious eyebrow, she gave him a sheepish smile. "Bad dreams, I guess."

_Bad dreams? The Chamber of Secrets? Why do we both keep dreaming about that horrible place? But this time, I wasn't asleep…_ Harry realized.

"Ginny," he said in a serious tone. "Did you dream about the Chamber of Secrets again?"

Ginny gave him an odd look. "Yes, but what do you mean, 'again'? How did you know I've had nightmares about it before?"

"I thought… a couple of days ago, the day we went to Hogsmeade—did you dream about it then?" Harry asked.

"Probably," Ginny said with a low laugh. "I dream about it every night."

Harry felt a pang in his chest. He knew what it was like to fight the night demons, to fear closing his eyes because of what madness and terror he might descend into. Ron and Hermione had both seen a lot, but they couldn't understand the horrifying nature of the nightmares that plagued him night after night. _Except for the night in the cave. _Harry corrected himself. _The night I spent next to Ginny._

"I know how you feel," he said simply. Ginny gave him a grateful look.

"How do you deal with it?" she asked.

"You just think about all the good things you have in your life," Harry replied. "And you remember that as bad as it gets, you'll always wake up again and it won't be real anymore. It's over and in the past and you're alive and safe."

Ginny smiled. "That's a nice way to think about it."

"Ginny!" Harry exclaimed, as a sudden thought occurred to him. "Before I came to Hogwarts this summer, Death Eaters tried to attack me," he explained rapidly. "But—"

"Death Eaters?" Ginny interrupted, her eyes widening in shock.

"Yeah, but listen, I was able to stop them using… using Legilimency," Harry finally said.

"Legilimency…" Ginny trailed off. "What's that?"

"You can sort of… read minds? But not exactly. You'd have to be very good at it. When I did it, I only got a lot of images of stuff I'd never seen before. I suppose they were memories," Harry explained. "Voldemort uses it. He can tell when people are lying to him." Harry noticed that Ginny seemed to be coming to a realization.

"Harry… that happens to me sometimes," Ginny whispered. "Ever since I was possessed by—by Voldemort."

"What, lying?" Harry asked, knitting his brow.

"No, I mean being able to tell when people are telling me the truth or not," Ginny said hesitantly. "I can usually sense when people are lying to me. It's not always accurate, but I think I can get better at it. I thought that maybe I was just fairly perceptive, but maybe it's that. Legilimency. Maybe I… maybe I got it from him."

"That would make sense," Harry nodded thoughtfully. "There were a lot of times

I could feel what Voldemort was feeling, especially if his emotions were really extreme. And a couple of times I actually saw what he was seeing…" _Is that what happened with you, Ginny? Do I see your dreams? Because that's when you're absolutely terrified?_ Harry kept his thoughts to himself. He wasn't sure how Ginny would respond.

"Hey, Harry," Ginny said suddenly. A broad grin stretched across her face. She was looking more cheerful. "Since Ron and Hermione are still asleep, we should plan something now." She laughed as Harry groaned. "You have to help me! I think I've thought of a way to get them together, but I'm going to need you. Tell me, how jealous do you think Ron gets?"

"Ron?" Harry hesitated. "Well, first I'd like to say that Ron is a terrific friend, and I would never want to say anything bad about him, and—"

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed, giggling. "Relax! He's not here right now. Remember, this is all going towards a good cause. And I'm the absolute queen of making fun of Ron, so you don't need to be afraid to say anything to me."

"Okay. Okay," Harry repeated. "There was that whole Triwizard Tournament incident. And Viktor Krum…"

"Exactly!" Ginny agreed. "Viktor Krum. That's the key here."

"What?" Harry asked. He was pleasantly surprised when Ginny scooted her chair closer to him and leaned in to whisper in his ear. Her warm breath felt nice, Harry thought absentmindedly as he tried to stay focused on the plan Ginny was detailing.

* * *

**A/N**: What _are_ those two planning, I wonder?

Please feel free to review! I absolutely do not care at all if all you say is "I read it." Or even "I skimmed it." It's just nice to know that people are actually looking at the stuff you spend so much time working on. XD


	7. Birthday Surprises

**Chapter 7: Birthday Surprises**

Harry and Ginny couldn't put their plan into action just yet, though. After Ron and Hermione had come downstairs and joined them in the common room, the four went down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Harry was amazed when, upon entering the Great Hall, he heard a huge cry of "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY!" A long table was set up in the center of the Hall, and it was covered with colorful balloons tied to metal weights, food, and a pile of presents at one end. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley beamed at him as his mouth dropped open in shock. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were all grinning as they took in his surprised reaction.

"I didn't expect this at all!" Harry said in disbelief. In truth, he had sort of forgotten about his birthday. The Dursleys never made a big deal about it, so the only things he looked forward to on his birthday were letters from his friends. Since he was already seeing them every day, Harry hadn't given much thought to when his birthday would arrive.

Ron clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Brilliant, isn't it? My mum's idea. I never got a surprise birthday party from her," Ron pretended to pout. "Still, though, it's not like you've gotten many of these, eh?"

Harry shook his head dumbly, still in awe at how much the Weasleys cared about him. They really did treat him as if he were part of the family.

"Happy birthday, Harry!" Hermione smiled happily. "Come on," she said as she tugged at his arm. "You have to go thank Mrs. Weasley and tell her how you knew absolutely nothing about this. She kept thinking we were going to let something slip to you!" Harry let himself be lead away by Hermione as Ginny trailed behind them. As Harry walked through the Hall, he kept getting pats on the back and birthday wishes.

"Harry!" a voice called. Harry looked up to see Lupin, who was wearing a slightly greying black robe, threading his way through the thin crowd towards him. "I got your letter, and I was going to reply, but I thought that since I would be seeing you so soon, I'd just wait so I could see you in person. Hello, Hermione, Ginny," Lupin said politely, inclining his head. "Mind if I talk to Harry for a bit?"

"Hi, Professor Lupin!" Hermione replied. "Not at all. Come on, Ginny, let's go try some of the mince pies your mum made."

Harry watched as Hermione and Ginny made their way over to the food piled high on golden platters on the table. He turned his attention back to Lupin.

"Harry, now, the veil," Lupin began. "I don't know too much about it, but there's not much to know in the first place. It's in the Department of Mysteries for a reason—no one really knows what it is. The prevailing theory seems to be that the portal is a sort of… gateway to the land of the dead. Nothing is for certain, because obviously whoever's gone in has never come back out." Lupin paused to take a breath. "Your guess is as good as mine when it comes to the voices. Yes, Harry, I've heard them, too. They have an entrancing quality, don't they? Kind of makes you want to dive in right after them." Harry tried to rapidly absorb all the information Lupin was giving him. Lupin smiled at the look on Harry's face. "I might have to go soon, so I thought I'd give you this now. It's your birthday present from me… and, well, from someone else, too, in a way."

Harry took the small brown package that Lupin held out for him. He untied the strings and unwrapped it slowly. Before the coarse brown paper completely fell away, Harry caught a sparkle of light. In the next instant, he found himself staring at an exact copy of the mirror Sirius had given him. He shook himself out of his daze and found that Lupin was apologizing.

"Sorry about the bad wrapping," Lupin said as he ran a hand through his greying hair. "I didn't have time to properly wrap it, and I thought you wouldn't mind. It's Sirius's mirror—the one he used to talk to James through. I don't know where the other one is, but I thought you might like this one," Lupin smiled.

"Thanks," Harry choked out. He took a deep breath and regained his composure. "Thank you. It means a lot to me. And I'm the one who has the other mirror. Sirius gave it to me."

"Ah, so now you have the full set," Lupin nodded. "Be sure to give the other one to someone special, then?" Lupin grinned. "And now I think I've kept you for too long." Lupin smiled as Hermione came up to them. Without really knowing why, Harry slipped Lupin's gift into his pocket. It just felt… private to him, somehow. He didn't want to have to explain it.

"Are you two done talking yet?" Hermione asked. She had a plate of meat pies in one hand and a goblet of pumpkin juice in the other.

"Yes," Harry replied. "Let's go talk to Mrs. Weasley now. See you soon, Professor Lupin!" Harry called over his shoulder as Hermione led him near the tables. Lupin gave him a friendly wave.

After Harry had thanked Mrs. Weasley profusely (she waved his gratitude off, saying that he could use a nice birthday after all the ones he'd spent with the Dursleys) and eaten the food that had been prepared, Ginny sidled up to him.

"Let's do it now, Harry," she said in a low voice.

"Now?" Harry asked, his mouth still half full with treacle tart.

"Better sooner than later, right?" she said. "Don't worry—it'll be fun." Ginny grinned, her eyes dancing mischievously. She turned around. "Here she comes!" Ginny turned back to Harry, winking. "It's all you."

"Hey, Hermione," Harry called, his mouth a bit dry.

"Hi," replied Hermione. She looked at Ginny's retreating back. "What was that about?"

"Oh, nothing," Harry said, acting nonchalant. Or he hoped he did. "Want to walk for a bit?"

"Sure," Hermione said uncertainly, joining Harry as he made his way to the entrance hall. Harry chanced a quick glance over his shoulder to see if Ginny was doing her part.

"What are you looking at?" Hermione asked, looking back, too.

"Nothing!" Harry replied hastily. Too hastily—Harry mentally kicked himself. "Just… making sure no one's going to miss me too much." Harry offered her a weak grin. Hermione raised an eyebrow but said nothing as they made their way out the front doors and onto the grounds. Harry started making a route towards the lake.

"So… what's going on?" Hermione asked after a few minutes of silence. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Uh," Harry stalled, scanning his mind as quickly as he could. "How's… how's your room?"

"My room?" Hermione repeated, frowning. "What do you want to know about my room?"

Harry berated himself. "Uh… is the bed okay? Enough light coming through the windows?" Harry glanced back again, hoping that Ginny would hurry up.

"What?" Hermione asked, furrowing her brow. "Harry, you seem really distracted… What's going on?" An edge was creeping into her voice now, Harry noticed. _Hurry up, Ginny._

"… are they doing?"

Harry sighed in relief as he heard a familiar voice drifting through the summer air. Time for phase two.

"So…. Hermione," Harry tried to sound smooth and cool. He stopped walking and moved in closer to Hermione.

"Harry?" Hermione asked, sounding very confused. She backed up as Harry advanced closer towards her. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing too important," Harry tried to sound casual though his mind was racing. What did everyone say, anyway? "You look," he raised his voice a little higher, "—you look quite nice today… Hermione."

"What does Harry want?" Snatches of conversation could be heard from further back along the path. "Stop pushing me, Ginny! What's he doing?"

Both Harry and Hermione turned to see Ron struggling with Ginny, who was trying to slow him down. Harry's eyes met Ginny's, and he read the message there. _Now!_

Harry gulped. No telling how badly Hermione would hurt him for _this._

He took a step closer, until he was almost touching her. Slowly, he reached out his hand and grasped hers. Harry barely heard Hermione's sharp intake of breath over Ron's sudden yell. Would that be enough? Maybe he should kiss her, too, thought the thought kind of made him want to puke. A quick peck on the cheek, then. Harry vaguely felt Hermione trying to tug her hand out of his, but he stubbornly held on. Hermione's eyes widened in fear as Harry leaned in closer and closer…

"_Oompf!_" Harry cried in surprise as something hard and fast tackled him to the ground.

"What kind of friend are you!" Ron raged. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Harry got to his feet, but Ron kept shoving at him. "I thought I could trust you!" Ron kept pushing as Harry kept trying to back away out of his reach. Ron really was building up quite a momentum, Harry thought worriedly. "You knew I liked her! What the hell were you trying to pull?" Harry stumbled. Ron seized the split second that Harry was off-balance and pushed him into the lake. Harry landed in the water with a splash that sprayed water across Ron's face. Ron stopped, momentarily stunned. He regained his anger the moment he let his eyes rest on Harry's face again. "And _why_ are you just sitting there, smiling!"

"Ron?" A soft voice came from behind them. They both turned around to see Hermione, who was walking towards them in a sort of daze. "You… you like me?"

Ron's eyes widened as he realized what he'd let slip in his moment of jealous anger. He turned towards Hermione and spread his hands helplessly. "Uh…"

An awkward silence developed; then Hermione broke it.

"Took you long enough," she laughed.

Harry's eyes sought out Ginny's, who was still standing by the tree. She grinned at him and gave him a double thumbs up. She looked adorable, Harry couldn't help thinking. He quickly strode to where she was.

"I think now would be a good time to leave those two alone," Harry said quietly. Ginny nodded, and they began walking back towards the castle. Harry glanced over at Ginny. The sunlight was hitting her hair, making it gleam with red and gold undertones, and there was a smile on her face, but she seemed troubled by something.

"You did a great job," Harry reassured her. "It worked just the way you planned."

"Mm," Ginny said. She seemed distracted.

"Is something wrong?" Harry asked, worried.

"No," Ginny said slowly. She finally turned to look at him. "You did a great job, too. You played your part really well."

"Thanks!" Harry replied, surprised. "I really wasn't all too sure of what I was doing half the time, though." Harry laughed at himself and his attempts at trying to be suave. He stopped laughing when Ginny stayed silent.

"Really well," Ginny repeated. She looked him in the eyes. "Harry, were you actually going to kiss Hermione? Did you want to?"

Harry felt a little flutter in his heart. _Why does she care if I actually wanted to kiss Hermione or not? Does she…_

"No, of course not," Harry replied calmly, though his heart had suddenly sped up considerably. "Hermione's just my friend. To tell you the truth, the thought of kissing her kind of made me feel like throwing up."

Ginny laughed and smiled up at him. "I'm glad." Harry noticed that she seemed quite a bit more cheerful.

Ginny started chattering about how she didn't think Ron would get _that_ angry and how Harry still hadn't opened his presents, but Harry was having a hard time concentrating on her words. His mind kept racing over what she'd said. _Did you want to? Kiss Hermione? Did you want to? _

Why had she cared so much?

* * *

**A/N:** A bit of fun. XD I was actually planning for "the plan" to be carried out next chapter, but I had to scrap the chapter that was supposed to be next. I hope you enjoyed it! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated. I would especially like to know if any of it made you laugh out loud… because I was laughing while writing some of it. XD 


End file.
